Tapping the wellspring: technology transfer and commercialization
by Rohit Shukla, president and CEO, larta
Ever since the creation of Mosaic at Champaign-Urbana in the mid-90's, the role of universities, labs and schools in producing substantial, even earth-shattering inventions has become well-known to a much larger group of people than academics, industrial elites and venture capitalists. Those latter groups have always understood the strong, symbiotic connections between the halls of academe and the lucre of the marketplace.
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Tech Transfer : From The Research Space To The Marketplace
The successful commercialization of technologies which have been fostered inside research environments has become an all too rare accomplishment. Research institutions, university and non-university based, continually face a growing number of obstacles and a dwindling source of government funding to help kickstart potentially marketable technologies. The relationship research centers have with the US government has become increasingly strained, as the already difficult process of acquiring funds is slowed or ceased.
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larta League: Chemat's Tech Transfer Triumph
Chemat Technology is in an enviable position--they've successfully branched out of the grant-funded research space into the marketplace, becoming profitable in the year 2000, half of their revenue attributed to customer sales. The CalTIP grant recipients decided to seek out private equity for the first time at last month's Venture Forum 2001 for their optical coating material, a product they feel is in prime condition for full-scale commercialization.
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Changing The Course
For many startups trying to survive in the current marketplace, the words 'strategic planning' tend to translate into one resounding message: changing course. To attract capital and create a viable business model, if they're sustainable concepts to begin with, smaller companies are often faced with the task of altering their direction if not reinventing it completely.
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larta forum: Candidate Comments
A direct statement from mayoral candidate Jim Hahn on the technology industry in Los Angeles. larta will publish a statement from Anthony Villaraigosa when it becomes
available.
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Related Articles

Technology Transfer and Commercialization: The Long and Winding Road
Past presentation which examines the problems of the tech transfer process, from Rohit Shukla, larta CEO.
click here to view presentation in PDF format

Tech Transfer: High-Tech Prospectors Dig for Gold In Troves of Big Defense Contractors
The Wall Street Journal highlights the tech transfer dilemma in a front page story about Lockheed Martin Corporation's efforts to move their telecommunication technology from the labs to the marketplace.
click here for the full article from The Wall Street Journal

Other Articles

What Makes a Good Entrepreneurial Leader? Ask Middle Managers
The demands a CEO must meet are changing as fast as the technology marketplace itself, where managers must operate in a highly unpredictable atmosphere in which competitive advantage may dissolve at any time.
click here for the full article from Knowledge@Wharton

A Brand of New Tech Cities
Newsweek profiles the country's most wired cities, citing information from larta's How Green Is Our Valley? Technology and Transformation Along the Ventura Freeway Corridor for their coverage of the 101 Corridor region.
click here for the full article from Newsweek

CalTIP 1999 Winners DemoGraFX's acquires $10 million in funding
Baker Capital financed video compression software company and CalTIP 1999 winner DemoGraFX for $10 million. CEO Robert Rast told Red Herring the funding should keep the Santa Monica-based DemoGraFX in business for the next 18 months.
click here for the full article from Red Herring

What they did for venture capital: Local Business.com's article on the 7th Annual Southern California Technology Venture Forum's luncheon panel of Internet-era survivors who shared--and bared--lessons from the new economy.
click here for the full article from Local Business.com

Orange County startups among apples of VC's eyes
A company named Hybrid is making plastics out of sand. But the Fountain Valley, California-based startup can't grow money on trees, so it picked the next best thing--venture capital.
click here for the full article on the Venture Forum from Local Business.com

larta in the News

4-23-2001: "Domain Blossoms" (Wall Street Journal)
4-16-2001: "Idealab Capital Partners Morphs Into Clearstone Venture Partners" (Digital Coast Daily)
4-9-2001: "Think Tank Hires Experts With Power to Solve Problems During Energy Crisis" (Los Angeles Times)

Announcement: Suites Online, Inc. Announces e-techlab, an incubator project offering office space, membership programs and entrepreneurial networking for technology, Internet and/or business support companies. Immediate occupancy is available. Private office or shared area from $200/month. This facility is located in Canoga Park. For more information contact Lance at lreynolds@suitesonline.net

Meet, Mix and Mingle:
Highlight of Featured Events
This event bulletin is provided as a service by larta on behalf of various partner organizations and about events vetted and endorsed by larta.

May 4: Anderson's Entrepreneur's Conference Featuring Jeff Henley, CFO of Oracle
Jeff Henley will give the keynote address at The Anderson School's Annual MBA event called, "Identify, Evaluate and Capitalize." This conference will highlight opportunities available in growing industries and feature experts on starting, financing and growing new businesses. For more information contact Kimberly Lisella at (310) 206-7707.
click here for more information

May 8: Selling Up - Selling Out
A one-day seminar for senior software and IT executives geared to help you position, value, prepare, and negotiate a merger, sale or divestiture of a software, IT or Internet company. Learn how to translate years of hard work and technical genius into real personal wealth. larta newsletter recipients receive a $100 discount.
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May 9 & 11: eBrews at UCLA
No long boring talks -- no rubber chicken, just great networking, with great people, all focused on growing the high tech economy. To meet the challenge of global and economic change, eCommerce Networking Group offers an informal setting for a high quality gathering of 200+ technology executives and professionals. At this meeting, the agenda is yours. The event will be at the Covel Commons on the UCLA campus from 6 - 9 p.m.
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May 9: Vojo Presents: Company Team Building
This Vojo event will focus on building your winning team for success. Two interactive panels will include: Lance Rosenzweig, Chairman, PeopleSupport; Steve Hoffman, CEO, Spiderdance; Christina Ramstein, Principal, cFour Partners; Michael Terpin, Co-founder & Chairman, Internet Wire; Kristin Gabriel, Founder & CEO, eCom Communications.
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May 10: Mnemonic Computer Solutions and Computer Associates presents: "Hackers at the Gates--Data Dilemmas" Network Security, Protection and Data Management
Heightened by the Internet explosion and data growth, small to medium sized businesses (SMB) have become incredibly vulnerable to computer attack and network data-loss. Long neglected by the computer industry in the field of network security, small to medium businesses like yours have now become the fastest growing sector of the market. Network security solutions are now affordable to businesses of any size. This timely seminar targets critical computer network security and data management issues for the needs of businesses who seek affordable solutions. For more information contact Tony Nejad at Tony@nemonic.com at 800.237.9191
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May 14: An Inside Look at the Tech Coast Angels
Come for the evening and network with 100 Tech Coast Angels. Enjoy a 'walk-around' dinner and networking reception. Submit your company's elevator pitch and get immediate feedback from a TCA panel; or just watch the process as others early-stage companies pitch. See a live 25-minute TCA screening, where a company does a full PowerPoint presentation, fields questions, and receives feedback from TCA members. The evening is designed to be an enjoyable and efficient way for entrepreneurs to learn how to pitch TCA, for investors who may be considering joining TCA, and for anyone who wants to experience key parts of the TCA process.
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May 14: Harvard Business School's Annual Entrepreneurs Conference
Join your business colleagues in the learning and networking experience that has had a major impact on Southern California companies for sixteen years. This all-day conference will offer new insights and thought-provoking discussions with guest speakers and panelists, who will share their experience and expertise. Learn from real-life case studies -- the hallmark of the Harvard Business School education. The Harvard Business School Association of Orange County (HBSAOC) is pleased to host this popular annual event, which has become the conference for gaining the perspectives and making the contacts needed to build and grow new business ventures.
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May 15: Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum - Venturing In New Media: A Content Meltdown?
If you haven't already noticed, Internet entertainment and content companies are spilling a river of red ink. We have read of the struggles of upstarts and mainstream media companies fighting this on-rushing tide and mourn the demise of last-year's stars. Join this expert panel as they take a fresh look at the new media industry and examine how the industry has changed its course and what impact it will have on emerging ventures. This program features: Tal Vigderson - President, Icebox.com; Sean Carey - Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Sony Pictures Entertainment; Lynda Keeler - Partner, Redleaf Group; Xavier Kochar - William Morris Agency; and moderated by Scott Alderton - Partner, Akin Gump Technology Ventures.
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May 15: Internap's Videoconferencing Open House
Internap Network Service's will host a quality of service open house featuring videoconferencing over the public Internet. You'll be amazed at the image quality when running videoconferencing over the public Internet using Internap's patented routing technology. Visit our downtown Los Angeles office on May 15 and talk with New York (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), San Jose (2:00 to 3:00 p.m.) or Seattle (3:00 to 5:00 p.m.). Each segment will feature a food indicative of that city. RSVP to: Jed Jones at: SoCalSales@internap.com, or call 800-947-2336 for more information.

May 16 and 17: larta University begins with "Strategic Planning For Your Venture"
larta's entrepreneurial workshop, larta University, begins with the first class, taught in Costa Mesa on the 16th, and in Santa Monica on the 17th. This first session, "Strategic Planning For Your Venture," features leading entrepreneurs sharing their business stories--the peaks and the valleys--in an interactive panel session, to a preliminary overview of the series? topics. Each entrepreneur will discuss the challenges they faced in taking their concepts and turning them into profits. Initial funding, management recruitment, and marketing strategies will be some of the many topics covered. Workshops are from 8 am to 12 noon.
Click here for more information

May 29-30: Software Council's VentureNet
VentureNet is hosted by the Software Council of Southern California. Capital presenters will be presenting before an audience of leading venture capitalists, corporate investors and Tech Coast Angels active in the software market. You'll meet the technology leaders of tomorrow. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Henry Samueli, co-founder of Broadcom Corporation.
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LA VOX is provided weekly as a free service to you by larta - the technology alliance for Southern California. LA VOX is made possible by the generous support of: Ernst and Young Akin Gump Technology Ventures Grubb and Ellis Mission Ventures State of California Technology Trade & Commerce Agency

Copyright © 2001 larta. All rights reserved. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to those who may be interested. Permission to quote any proprietary part of this material is granted given proper credit. Distribution is allowed provided that no modifications are made to the original content.